Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1887-11-23
Terrible Experiences.

Otto and Ernst Bertrand, two young men
of Carondelet, put their shotguns on their
shoulders last Wednesday morning about
daybreak, slung their game bags at their
sides and ffter eating hasty breakfast in
their parents house started off to spend
three days duck hunting amoug the lakes of
the American bottom, on the other side of
the river. They had skiff moored near
their house aud crossed the river in it, hid
ing the boat in little cove between Caho
kia and East Carondelet when they had
reached the other side and were starting for
the lakes They had fair luck hunting, and
started home yesterday morning. When
they got to Canokia, Ernst, who had the
heaviest bag of ducks, told OGto that be
would cross the river by the ferry and sell
his game in the Uoion Market. Otto as.
senied and made bis way alone TO The boat.
He missed the path, and attempting TO
reach the SIX IF by following tbs bank OF the
RIVER he plugged into black. filthy and to-
nacious quicksand. His right leg went into
tue mire over its knee at the first step, and
the other leg fol owed it, sinking up to the
tnigh before he understood he was in aqusg-
mire He tried TO extrcate himself. and
casp.d ny the mud, and NOV, uotau inch.
He shouted for help, heard 10 reply and
then remembered that the nearest house was
two miles sway. IL seemed 10 bim that he
WAS sinking deeper in the quicksand, and
then it came to his mind for the first time that
men had lost their lives in such places and
their bodies had never been found. He
grew frantic and screamed at tho top Of his
voice, and waved his arms about, beating
the mud, and catching At little stones and
roofs that appeared in is. lie tried TO move
MS fejtered legs, and found that his body
up 10 his waist was dead, He was cssped
in an embrace that knew no relaxing. he
lost his senses his mind wandered, he
thought Of those he had left at home. his
brother who bad just left him; he cried and
feebly pattered bis hands 10 the mud until
his face was streaked with it. Theu The
thought came to him suddenly that he was
about to die by sutlocaton, and in an agony
of terror ho lifted his voice and cried for
help again. The sky looked down upon
him clear aud joyful, aud mooked him with
its calmness. He tried to kill himself. His
shot gun had been on his sbOulder when he
| stepped into the quoksend and he looked
| around for it intending to shoot himself. 1t
had sunk He continued TO struggle, and
became InSenS!6e, out continued 20 uG-
ter cries of distress in his unconscious
| ness.
| He had fallen into the quicksaDd at nine
o'clock in the morning. AT 4 O'Clock in the
afternoon a negro bcatmen came rowing
| along from Cahokia and he heard him moan.
ing. He pulled his boat in and tried to pull
the hunter out Of the mud. Bertrand, by
this time had sunk up to his armpits in the
| nuipkaand Tho negro saw that he was un-
able to save the young ma0, and rowed
back to Cehokia, four miles away, where
! he aot two other men, When the boat got
back to Bertrand, ne had sunk until only
| his head aod neck we're visible, and it was
two hours before the thres boatmen could
get him out of the mud. He was taken
home at once and put to bed, and is now
rapidly recovering.-S. Louis Globe Demo.
| cr0t